Advacam
{{Short description|Czech technology company}}
{{Prose|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Advacam
| logo = Advacam-logo.png
| type = Private
| founded = 2013
| founder = Jan Sohar, Jan Jakůbek
| hq_location_city = Prague
| hq_location_country = Czech Republic
| website = https://www.advacam.com
}}
Advacam is a technology company based in the Czech Republic, producing radiation imaging pixel detectors and {{clarify span|partical|date=July 2024}} tracking cameras for various industries, including space dosimetry, material analysis, electron microscopy, and non-distractive testing. It is a spin-off of the Institute of Technical and Experimental Physics of Czech Technical University in Prague{{Cite web |title=Czech Space Alliance (czechspace.eu) |url=http://www.czechspace.eu/index.php?mnItem=1 |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.czechspace.eu}} and the Medipix Collaboration based at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).{{Cite web |title=Advacam s.r.o. {{!}} medipix.web.cern.ch |url=https://medipix.web.cern.ch/advacam-sro |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=medipix.web.cern.ch}} The company was founded by Jan Sohar and Jan Jakůbek{{Cite web |title=Jan Jakubek |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-WDb3l0AAAAJ&hl=cs |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=scholar.google.com}} in 2013.{{Cite web |title=EY Technologický podnikatel roku |url=https://www.ey.com/cs_cz/podnikatel-roku/technologicky-podnikatel-roku |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=ey.com |language=cs}}{{Cite web |title=ADVACAM Experts in Photon Counting - Imaging the Unseen |url=https://advacam.com/company/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Advacam}}
Technology
Advacam grew from research conducted within the framework of scientific collaboration for high-energy physics initiated in the 1990s in the CERN. The technologies of Medipix and Timepix, which are single-photon counting chips, were initially developed for the ATLAS experiment within the Large Hadron Collider. Every pixel in these devices counts each photon that reaches the detector's surface, simultaneously measuring the energy of the detected radiation. This technology enables high-contrast spectral X-ray imaging capable of differentiating between materials.{{Cite web |title=ADVACAM Photon Counting Detector Technology Manufacturer |url=https://advacam.com/technology/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Advacam}}
Applications
Photon counting technology can be used in many fields, including commercial manufacturing and science. Advacam detectors are applied in:
- Material analysis – Advacam detectors can test the quality of electrons, polymers, alloys, or minerals.{{Cite web |title=Real-Time Mineral X-Ray Analysis for Efficient and Sustainable Mining |url=https://www.xmine.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/210218-X-Mine-flyer-Feb-2021.pdf |access-date=2024-03-26}}
- Non-destructive testing – The cameras can discover microscopic defects in welds and various materials, including lightweight materials such as composites.{{Cite web |title=ADVACAM Detectors Application in Non-destructive Testing |url=https://advacam.com/application/non-destructive-testing/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Advacam |language=en-US}}
- Radiation detection – When combined with drones or moving robots, the technology can locate a source of radiation.{{Cite web |title=Localization of sources of ionizing radiation using a group of small unmanned aircraft with Compton camera detectors (RaDron) |url=https://mrs.felk.cvut.cz/radron |access-date=2024-03-26}}
- Space weather monitoring and forecasting – Advacam detectors are used on the ISS to detect incoming particles and map and monitor radiation on several space missions, including the NASA Artemis program.{{Cite web |title=Timepix for Aerospace {{!}} Knowledge Transfer |url=https://kt.cern/aerospace/timepix |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=kt.cern}}
- Biomedicine – Particle detection is used in cancer research and biomechanics.{{Cite web |title=Spectroscopic X-ray imaging now certified for medical use|url=https://medipix.web.cern.ch/news/news/medipix3/spectroscopic-x-ray-imaging-now-certified-medical-use |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=medipix.web.cern.ch}}{{Cite web |date=2024-03-25 |title=CERN detector could help to improve head tumour radiotherapy |url=https://home.cern/news/news/knowledge-sharing/cern-detector-could-help-improve-head-tumour-radiotherapy |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=CERN}}
- Research and education.{{Cite journal |last1=Parcerisas |first1=D |last2=Ballabriga |first2=R |last3=Amorós |first3=E |last4=Argudo |first4=A |last5=Campbell |first5=M |last6=Casas |first6=L |last7=Christodoulou |first7=P |last8=Colomé |first8=R |last9=Corrons |first9=D |last10=Curcó |first10=V |last11=Enajas |first11=M |last12=Granja |first12=C |last13=Grauges |first13=E |last14=Gou |first14=A |last15=Lleó |first15=E |date=2022-01-19 |title=ADMIRA project: teaching particle physics at high school with Timepix detectors |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6552/ac4143 |journal=Physics Education |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=025018 |doi=10.1088/1361-6552/ac4143 |bibcode=2022PhyEd..57b5018P |issn=0031-9120|doi-access=free }}
Products
- MiniPIX
- AdvaPIX
- WidePIX
Customers or users are for example NASA, ESA, Boeing, Blue Origin,{{Cite web |last=Nová |first=Eliška |date=2024-04-04 |title=Česká firma se umí podívat do kosmu, těla i obrazů a ukázat, co je skryté. Vyhlídly si ji NASA i Boeing |url=https://cc.cz/ceska-firma-se-umi-podivat-do-kosmu-tela-i-obrazu-a-ukazat-co-je-skryte-vyhlidly-si-ji-nasa-i-boeing/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=CzechCrunch |language=cs}} OneWeb{{Cite web |title=OneWeb confirms successful deployment of 16 satellites including next-generation JoeySat |url=https://oneweb.net/resources/oneweb-confirms-successful-deployment-16-satellites-including-next-generation-joeysat |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=OneWeb}} or Anton Paar{{Cite web |title=XRD Detection Units |url=https://www.anton-paar.com/corp-en/products/details/xrd-detection-units-pixos/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=Anton-Paar}}
Spin-off companies
- Radalytica offers robots for non-destructive testing.{{Cite web |title=Radalytica|publisher=Moravský letecký klastr |url=https://www.czech-aerospace.cz/firma/radalytica |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.czech-aerospace.cz}}
- AdvaScope specializes in systems for electron microscopes.{{Cite web |title=AdvaScope: další zářez pro brněnskou elektronovou mikroskopii |url=https://www.jic.cz/magazin/pribehy-uspesnych-firem/advascope-dalsi-zarez-pro-brnenskou-elektronovou-m |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.jic.cz}}
- InsightArt brings solutions for art testing.{{Cite web |title=CERN technology helps rediscover lost painting by Raphael|url=https://medipix.web.cern.ch/news/news/timepix/cern-technology-helps-rediscover-lost-painting-raphael |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=medipix.web.cern.ch}}{{Cite web |date=2024-04-28 |title=Když to neuvidíme my, neuvidí to nikdo. O špičkové české detektory má zájem NASA i Boeing|url=https://www.hrot24.cz/clanek/spickove-ceske-detektory-kdyz-to-neuvidime-my-neuvidi-to-nikdo |access-date=2024-04-28 |publisher=Týdeník Hrot|language=cs}}